If people are looking at the USFL as a competitive new league to the NFL, they’re wasting their time. It would take a decade or longer before they or any other upstart can ever hope to be in the same solar system as the National Football League. That said, there is one significant benefit to the arrival of this spring league. It can serve as an excellent developmental system for younger players who may otherwise be unable to crack NFL rosters. That is why the Chicago Bears would do well to monitor it as the USFL moves forward with its first playoff tournament.
One of the heavy favorites for the league championship is the New Jersey Generals. They sit at 6-1 and lead the North Division with three games to play. Many players have made strong contributions to that success. One of the biggest standouts is their offensive line. Typically new leagues often see little-to-no good line play. That hasn’t been the case for New Jersey, as multiple starters performed quite well this season. None more so than right tackle Calvin Ashley.
He was voted a midseason All-Star two weeks ago for his performances thus far.
Much of that centers around his run blocking. Ashley has dominated that department for most of the year. The Generals offense is averaging 165.9 yards per game on the ground. Several of their biggest runs come from behind big #71. This must feel like validation for him. Ashley looked like an ascending talent at Auburn before transferring out. He ultimately landed at smaller Florida A&M but saw his college career derailed by the arrival of COVID-19. As a result, he became an undrafted free agent in 2021.
Several teams were interested in him, including the Bears. He chose to sign with the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Soon enough, it became clear that he had no chance of cracking the main roster. Ashley had a decision to make. Either try to stick it out on a practice squad or take his chances on the USFL. He chose the latter.
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Chicago Bears have every reason to give Ashley a look.
They have significant question marks all over their offensive line. That is especially true in terms of depth. Right now, their two starters are Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom. Both are talented but also unproven and inexperienced. Behind them doesn’t look any better with Julie’n Davenport, Shon Coleman, and Lachavious Simmons competing for the swing tackle spot. None of them have any proven track record despite actual NFL playing time.
That is why signing somebody like Ashley makes sense. He is 24-years old and getting much-needed seasoning in the USFL. It doesn’t hurt that his offensive coordinator Steve Smith is an offensive line specialist, and his head coach Mike Riley has loads of experience going back to the mid-1970s. The young tackle landed in a good situation and took advantage. He also fits what the Chicago Bears want to do.
They want to run the football.
That is the core identity of their new wide zone system. He continues to show the power and nastiness Ryan Poles loves in offensive linemen. If he can drop some weight to improve his quickness, there is no doubt he could challenge for a roster spot.
